Rosemary said: “This two day course develops an understanding of the most common mental health problems that can affect anyone. The training can help caregivers deal with many situations such as understanding mental health and mental illness, self-help strategies and details of the many sources of help and support.

“Most of the mental health services in our area are provided in the community by health and social care staff in partnership with voluntary and community groups with a focus on support and recovery. Our aim is to support people with mental health problems to remain independent and reduce the need for their hospital admission.”

Nuala adds that sometimes people can feel overwhelmed and in distress.

“It is important to be able to ask for support to help you through these times when you feel overwhelmed stressed. We recommend five tips to help people be mindful of their mental health. These are to connect, be active, take notice, keep learning and to give.”

Connect
With the people around you, with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or in your local community. Think of these relationships as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day.

Be active
Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity you enjoy and one that suits your level of mobility and fitness.

Take notice
Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are walking to work, eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you.

Keep learning
Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a different responsibility at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things will make you more confident as well as being a fun activity.

Give
Do something nice for a friend or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Look out as well as in. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you.

If you are in distress or despair, or concerned about someone you know, call LIFELINE free on 0808 808 8000. Lifeline is a 24 hour helpline that can put the caller in touch with support services.

The Protect Life Resource Service is available in the Southern Trust for those who wish to access to information. Mental Health First Aid training is organised regularly for community and voluntary groups. For further information and details of other training and support, contact Action Mental Health on 028 3839 2314 or PIPS Newry and Mourne on 028 3026 6195.

Photograph
Rosemary Daly (left), Senior Health Promotion Officer for Workplaces, with the Promoting Wellbeing Team at the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, with the recently trained Mental Health First Aid participants